Athen’s Roman Agora

I’m not sure exactly what we were expecting the Roman Agora to be, but it wasn’t this. Mostly, it’s a big empty field, with ruins bordering it. And the weird thing is that we could step right up on the ruins and touch things, which was so disorienting we kept looking for the signs that told us not to do that, or for the woman who checked our pass on the way in to come tell us to stop. But nope.

For those of you who are worried, don’t be. We were totally behaved, and besides getting in among what is there for photos, and to just put a hand on the stone, we bothered nothing.

The Tower of the Four Winds is supposed to be a type of weather-vane and clock tower, elevated in such a way it could be seen throughout the Forum. But from looking at it and reading the plaques around it, we couldn’t figure out exactly how it was supposed to work.

We could, however, see the friezes around it, which represent the eight wind deities.

The large, columned archway at the West end, near the entrance, is the Gate of Athena Archegetis, and was constructed with donation from Julius Caesar and Augustus.

We found it somewhat surprising, the pieces of ruins just sort of stacked around and left there. Propped up against each other, leaning against a stone retaining wall… just set out so we could wander through and look.

It all seemed so haphazard, that Scott was struck with a sudden desire to get a garden gnome and prop him in among them.

I wonder who Timotheos was…

Just… stacked there…

With weeds growing around…

And, it looks like, re-purposed at some point, for some reason, until even the re-purpose was left to ruins…